Stylus



W. S. ZAAYER STYLUS. FILED APR. 19 I921 Feb. 1923.

William zm em Slh JFtLS enrsnr o WILLIAlVt S. ZAAYER, OF CGLUMBUS, OHIO.

STYLUS.

Application filed April 19, 19.21.

T 0 all whom it may concern e it known that WILLIAM S. ZAAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Styli, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved stylus adapted for use in conjunction with the sound box of a talking machine, the primary object being to provide a stylus which will operate to properly vibrate in accordance with the sound undulations provided in the grooves of a record and yet to be so formed as to eliminate grating or scratching noises produced by undue frictional contact between the needle end of the stylus and the record surfaces, particularly to walls of the grooves of said records.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a stylus primarily designed for the purpose aforesaid and which is formed to include a pair of locally aligned yet spaced sections, one of said sections be ing designed for connection with the sound box and the other section being disposed for cooperation with the record grooves, and to provide a relatively flexible body of novel formation for uniting said sections, the said flexible body permitting of substantially uniform vibration of the stylus as a whole and yet being capable of allowing the said sections to move relatively, a feature of construction which serves to enable the lower needle section of the stylus to be at all times properly maintained in the approximate center of a record groove, in order that undue friction between the stylus and the walls of the record grooves will beprevented, the construction thus serving to permit the stylus to faithfully reproduce the sound undulations of the record, without involving the reproduction of such extraneous and objectionable sounds that are frequently created by reason of improper frictional contact or improper positioning of the stylus within the record grooves.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view the improved stylus comprising ferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the stylus.

disclosing the pre- Serial No. 462,646.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the upper end of the stylus.

Figure l. is a similar view taken through the central portion thereof.

Figure 5 is a sectional view disclosing :1 slightly modified form of the invention.

Figure (5 is a side elevation of the device showing the same attached to a sound box.

Referring more particularly to the details of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the improved stylus comprising the present invention in its entirety. Essentially this' stylus consists of a needle structure formed to include vertically aligned upper and lower sections 2 and 3 respectively, the said sections being formed from metal and adapted to be connected in the usual manner with the needle socket a of a sound box 5, and in the provision of an improved substantially resilient body 6, which is adapted to unite the sections 2 and 3 so that relative movement between said sections may be. permitted.

The body 6 is preferably formed from rubber or a composition thereof so as to be relatively flexible or resilient in operation, the upper part of said body being relatively wide, as indicated by the numeral 7, and this widened portion is provided with clownwardly curved and tapering side walls 8, w iich converge toward the lower edge 9 of said body. Also, the intermediate portion of the body is formed to include a transversely extending opening 10, which serves to weaken the body locally and to render said intermediate portion relatively resilient.

The upper section 2 is embedded in the reduced upper part 11 of the body 6, and pro jects an appreciable distance above said upper part of the body in order that the stylus may be positioned rithin the socket 4t and removably secured therein. The part 11 is surrounded by means of a metal band 12, which operates to reinforce the upper part of the body and to securely retain the sec tion 2 in connection therewith. The lower section passes through the body 6 between the lower part of the opening 10 and the edge 9, the extreme lower end of the section 8 projecting a considerable distance beneath the edge 9 so that the stylus may be positioned within the grooves of a record without permitting the body 6 to contact with the upper surface of the record. It will be ap' preciated that the lower section 3 may tern1inate in any suitable type of a record engaging point, such for example as a jewel end, an ordinary needle point construction or the so-ealled tungsten type of needle. The section 3 is removably positioned within the sleeve 13 passing through the lower part of the body. This sleeve cooperates with a laterally adjustable, manually operated screw 14, which is capable oi entering the sleeve 13 so as to l rictionally engage with the needle shank positioned therein. lilani'l estly, by means or this construction, any suitable type of a playing needle may be removably connected with the stylus.

In operation, the stylus is adapted to be connected in any suitable manner with the sound box 5, and is so positioned that its edge 9 will extend radially'ol a cooperative record and not circum'terentially ol the record. By this position, the body 6 may be 01 any desired proportions and yet will not frictionally engage with the upper surlace of the record.

It will be manifest that by reason of the proportions of the body (5, the vibration of the lower section will cause th entire stylus to vibrate in unison therewith, thus transmitting the sound vibrations in the usual manner to the diaphragm ol the reproducer 5. However, practical tests have disclosed that by the presence oi the resilient body, relative movement between the sections 2 and 3 may take place, and. it is believed that this relative movement is of such character as to permit the lower section to be at all times properly positioned within the groove of a record, so that undue Friction between the section 3 and the record grooves will be precluded. The stylus, therefore, serves to permit a record to be reproduced in such manner that the natural sounds may be properly portrayed, but all undue harshness will be eliminated. A. stylus constructed in this mannerdoes not produce the same volume as does the ordinary rigid needle construction but the reproduction is rendered more pleasing'by reason of the reduction of all frictional noises,'and is consequently better adapted for ordinary usage where volume or loudness or sound not especially desired. However, if desired, the volume may be increased by providing the construction disclosed in l igure 5, wherein the upper section"-tei'minates in pair of spaced forked arms 15, which are adapted to pass through the localized resilient portions of the body 6 defined by the opening 10. The arms 15 serve to prevent extreme flexing of the body (3 and theretore provide a more rigid construction as disclosed in the preferred form of the invention. I do not claim broadly a stylus construction wherein upper and lower sections are united by n eans or a relatively flexible body, but do claim the specific construction of the body 6 and its cooperating elements, as hereinafter specifically defined.

hat is claimed is:

1. a stylus comprising a body formed from a substantially resilient material, spaced upper and lOY'Q'l needle se tions embedded in said body, and said body being provided with a transversely extend i opening arranged to pass therethrough netween said needle section, sai d opeiiings serving to weaken said body to produce localized resilient portions therein.

2. In astylus, a body formed from substantially resilient material, an attaching membe arranged to project through the upper part Ofl' said body, a sleeve torn'ied in the lower part ot' said body, a needle member removably position-ed within said sleeve and arranged to project beneath said body, and said body being formed to include transversely extending opening arranged to pass theret-hrough between said attaching and needle members.

3. In a stylus, a body tlormed from a sub stantially resilient material, an attaching member embedded in the upper part of said stylus, a needle member removably carried in the lower part of said body and spaced from said attaching member, said member being termed to include a transversely extending opening arranged to pass through the intermediate portion thereoit,'and downwardly converging side walls provided upon said body.

4;. In a stylus, a body formed from a substantially resilient material, spaced attaching and needle members arrangedv to be em bedded within said body, said body having a transverse opening formed therethrougli to provide a localized resilient portion in said body intermediate or its length, and, means passable through the body and opening for regulating the resiliency of said localized resilient portion.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

WVILLIAM S. ZAAYER. 

